Seen, Celebrated, and Belonging: YMI's Juneteenth Event with DC Black Yacht Fest

This Juneteenth, Young Mothers, Inc. proudly served as the Official Community Host for DC Black Yacht Fest — an evening of culture, connection, and dinner celebrating Juneteenth together. But for our team, this celebration started a day earlier, and it became one of the most meaningful moments of our year.

A Day Before the Spotlight

The story began with a simple girls' day out. Kamille, YMI's Founder and Executive Director, took our moms shopping at House of Mercy, picking out dresses and trying on shoes, a small moment that meant so much.

A Spotlight of Her Own

That evening, Mena Sylvester, a member of the YMI family for over four years, had her own spotlight: a Get Ready With Me moment, just for her. It's one small window into the bigger story of what this community makes possible.

"Young Mothers, Inc. has been such a great resource for me and my family and has helped financially and emotionally ... many times it is so hard to actually feel like you are enough when you are a young mom without much support systems." — Mena Sylvester

Opening Doors

That night, our moms connected directly with entrepreneurs and business leaders — people who don't usually cross paths with them. Kamille took the stage to share what YMI is doing to help young mothers build lasting futures: "Tonight is not just about exposure. It's about creating opportunity, it's about helping these mothers see what's possible and putting them in an environment to help them connect."

You Belong in This Room

As she invited the moms up to the stage, Kamille told the room: "These women are here tonight because we believe they deserve to be in this room." Later, the moms had real one-on-one time with her, not as the Executive Director, but as someone who'd shown up for them.

The highlight of the night wasn't just the new opportunities our moms were introduced to. It was that they were seen and celebrated — reminded that they belong in every room they walk into.

Want to help create more moments like this? Check out our Get Involved page to learn how you can donate, volunteer or partner with us to make the future brighter for young mothers and their families.

Get Involved Today